Notions of Love
by Elizabeth Catalina Malfoy
Summary: A H/D romance, with a little H/H/R/D adventure thrown in. It takes place over the summer after their sixth year and will probably continue into their seventh. The first chapter may seem a bit choppy, but the story will explain eveything. PG-13 because I'm
1.

Disclaimer- Blah, blah, blah. I own none of the characters, they are all the work of J.K. Rowling's superb literary genius.

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Chapter One- A Crazy Summer Begins

Draco Malfoy arrived home at Malfoy Manor after his 6th year at Hogwarts feeling more free then he ever had before. His father didn't control him anymore. Thank god for that. After Voldemort's downfall two months ago, Draco had been key in exposing his father, Lucius Malfoy, as a Death Eater and sending him to Azkaban for life. Defeating Voldemort, however, led to some surprising consequences. For one, Draco had been ostracized from the Slytherin house after he supplied the key information that led to the Dark Lord's downfall. Finding himself without friends nor family, he was openly accepted into the Gryffindor house and found himself allied with the clan of Harry, Ron, and Hermione.

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"I can't believe how much I used to hate those three." Draco thought to himself after the house-elves unpacked his things and he'd settled himself into an easy chair by the gigantic fireplace in his room. _"But after I helped overpower Voldemort with them, we all realized what hopelessly insufferable gits we were being. Am I ever glad for that. I finally feel accepted, something I never had with the Slytherins. That Hermione is really something too. I wonder..."_

"Draco? Draco darling." called Draco's mother, Narcissa Malfoy, from the door of Draco's room, snapping him out of his thoughtful gaze. "You haven't spoken ten words to me since you've arrived. Is something troubling you?"

"No mother, not really. I was just thinking."

"Draco, let me tell you something." said Narcissa, crossing the room and taking a seat in the chair opposite Draco. "If there's anything on your mind, and I mean anything, you can talk to me. Your father can't hurt us anymore, thanks to you."

"I know, I know mother. I feel better then I have my entire life, now that I'm not in his power anymore. Are you happy?"

"Why of course Draco. You know my marriage to your father was arranged by Voldemort, and that I was never very happy. Thank you for everything you've done, Draco dear. I love you." said Narcissa, her eyes beginning to mist over.

"I love you too mother."

Narcissa hugged her son tightly, then got up and left the room, leaving Draco alone with his thoughts once again.

~

Hermione Granger stepped off the Hogwarts Express and practically ran into the arms of her waiting parents.

"Mione, oh how we've missed you." crooned her mother. "Come come. lets get your trunk into the car and get home so you can tell us all about what happened the past year. Why with that Voldemort business and all, we were terrified"

Hermione's parents were muggles, so they had yet to hear all the details about Voldemort's defeat, and the major part Hermione, Harry, Ron, and Draco had played in it. Hermione herself wasn't even sure of all the minor facts. After loading her trunk into the family car, the Grangers headed home.

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"Wow, I can't believe the school year is over already." reflected Hermione to herself in the backseat of the Granger's luxury sedan. _"What am I going to do all summer? Maybe I could owl Ron and Harry and we could get together and do something. Oh wait, there's Draco now too. It just all happened so fast, I'm not even sure..."_

"Mione, sweetheart, you're awfully quiet. What's on your mind?" questioned Hermione's mother from the front seat.

"I was just thinking that you guys will be away in the States most of the summer and I'll be home bored by myself. I'll finish all the books on the reading list in a week or so, and then what?" Hermione answered.

"Oh yes dearest, about that. Your father and I have decided that you can owl Ron, Harry, and that new boy you're friends with now, what's his name again?"

"Draco. Draco Malfoy."

"Well Draco too. You can owl them and ask if they'd like to spend the summer with you at our house, so you don't get lonely. We've already asked the Weasleys and Dursleys, and they all said they don't mind. Now you've got a week to contact that other boy, Draco did you say his name was? Well we don't mind if he comes to stay too."

"Are you serious! Oh thank you thank you!" Hermione cried ecstatic with joy. Now she just had to get in touch with Draco and the summer would be perfect...


	2. 

Disclaimer- Blah, blah, blah. I own none of the characters, they are all the work of J.K. Rowling's superb literary genius.

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Chapter 2- The Plans Are Set

Hermione couldn't wait to owl Draco. She didn't quite know why, but she felt the summer wouldn't be complete without him.

"That's odd. I spent such a great deal of time alone with only Harry and Ron last summer, but now I feel I need Draco here. But with all that's changed, I guess it's understandable."

Breaking out of her trance she sat down at her desk to write Draco a letter. It looked something like the following:

Draco,

Hi, it's Hermione. You know how I thought I would be utterly bored this summer, well my parents told me I can invite you, Ron, and Harry over for the ENTIRE SUMMER! Isn't it fabulous!? I'm hoping you can stay, but if you can't, then I'll understand. Just send me an owl ASAP so I can plan. My parents leave in a week, and after that the summer is ours.

Awaiting Your Reply,

Hermione Granger

"There, that should do it." Hermione said to no one in particular, signing her name to the letter. She attached it to her owl, Hedsenfluffle, and watched as he flew away, feeling rather gratified. She picked up a book and settled onto her bed. All she could do now was wait.

~

Draco was still sitting in his chair, absorbed in his own thought. He had gone to eat lunch with his mother, then returned to his room and continued staring into the fireplace. It wasn't long before he'd drifted off into a dream-filled sleep.

"Son, how, how could you do this to me?! Betray your own father like you have! Please, Draco, I was good to you!" screamed Lucius Malfoy, in the dream that Draco so often relived.

"Father, you never treated me like I was anything worth caring about. You wanted me to become just like you, and thank god I haven't. You were cold and unfeeling and murderous all those years. Do you have any idea how many lives and families you've destroyed?" spat Draco in reply

"Please, Draco, my son. If you are as good as you say, then you will spare my life."

"All these years you neglected mother, and abused me. Now I have a chance to give you only a taste of what you've put mother and me through. But I unlike you am not a murderer. My one wish is that you do not receive the Dementor's Kiss, but that you rot in Azkaban for the rest of your miserable life. Now get out of my presence."

Draco had spoken the last words at the trial of his father, Lucius Malfoy. In doing so, Draco heard his desperate plea, and could not bear to sentence his own father to death. So instead he was sent to Azkaban, the feared wizard prison, for the rest of his life. Lucius had taken many lives, wizard and muggle, while working under Voldemort, so most wizards felt that he should receive the kiss immediately. However the good majority of them understood Draco couldn't sentence his father to death.

Draco was awakened by the soft rustling of owl feathers, as Hermione's owl swooped into his room and perched on his knee. Draco quickly untied the letter from Hedsenfluffle, and after reading it bounded downstairs into the sitting room. He found his mother there shuffling through some old papers.

"Oh hello Draco sweetheart. What is it? You look flushed." said Narcissa, looking up from the papers in her hand when she heard Draco enter the room.

"Nothing's wrong mother, I just ran down the steps a bit quickly." replied Draco.

"Well, something seems to have you quite excited. What's the news?"

"I just received an owl from Hermione, you know, one of my friends from school. Her parents are going to be away during the summer, and she has invited me to come and stay with her."

"Oh my, that is news. Tell me dear, will there be anyone else there with you?" questioned Narcissa. She realized that two teenagers alone together for that long of a period could result in some rather unnerving consequences.

"Of course. Harry Potter and Ron Weasley, you remember them from Hogwarts, well they'll be there. And Hermione's neighbors I'm sure will be checking up on us."

"I have met Hermione's parents, and they are good people. I'm sure they wouldn't extend you this invitation if they weren't already ok with it. But still..."

"Oh please, please can I go mother? I'm old enough to take care of myself, and I promise I won't get into trouble." pleaded Draco, sounding very much like a four-year old and trying not to whine.

"Well, I suppose it would be alright if you spent the summer with Hermione, Harry and Ron. It would give me a chance to get your father's things out of here and do some things of my own. Yes, I think I'll have fun this summer too." Narcissa faded out into her own dreamland thinking of all the wonderful pampering she would indulge in. Pedicures. Facials. Reading sappy romance novels. All the things Lucius despised with every fiber of his being she would once again be allowed to do.

"Thank you sooooooo much!" cried Draco excitedly, giving his mother a hug so hard she had to plead for him to let her go. He hurried out of the study and back up the stairs where he scratched out a reply letter to Hermione.

Hermione,

Hello, got your owl. My mother (after much begging) said I could come this summer! Since your parents are leaving a week from today, which I think is the 17th of June, I'll be there the 18th, if that's ok. I'll take the muggle bus (is that what you call it?) and you can meet me at the station. I'll be on the 2:00 bus, I checked the schedule, and that's the only one that comes near my house. We're going to have so much fun this summer, I can't wait!

Draco Malfoy

Draco tied the letter to Hedsenfluffle and watched as he disappeared over the horizon. He had a billion thoughts running through his head as he saw the owl become a small speck in the distance.

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"What do I pack? How much should I take? Should I take muggle clothes? Where do I begin!?" Draco realized he was going to need his mother's help with this one, she was always the one who packed his things anyway. _"Oh sheesh, it's only a summer vacation. Who cares what I take. Well Hermione does, she always tells me that my royal blue robes bring out the dark specks in my eyes. Wait, why do I care? She's only a girl"_

He collapsed onto his bed feeling utterly helpless. Laying there, a thought came to his mind: this was going to be the best summer ever! Why, he didn't quite now, but he was full to bursting with anticipation. Now, he had to pack.


End file.
